Apps

LastPass password manager gets some iOS 7 love

Though I've been syncing my Safari web passwords lately using the new iOS 7 password-syncing feature called iCloud Keychain, I'm still a 1Password type of guy, mainly as iCloud Keychain doesn't support secure notes, tagging, folders and what not.

That said, I understand AgileBit's password manager may not be everyone's cup of tea due to its high asking price ($17.99 for the iPhone/iPad app, plus an additional $49.99 for 1Password for Mac).

But there are other password managers out there and one of them called LastPass is free and has just received a nice little makeover for iOS 7...

Yahoo Finance gets push notifications and all-new iOS 7 look

Since the iPhone's inception, Yahoo has been Apple's exclusive provider of weather and stock market data in iOS. While I've never been a big fan of Yahoo's Finance app for the iPhone and iPad, I prefer to keep tabs on stocks on the Yahoo Finance website, as opposed to Google Finance.

I'll be changing my mind, however, as the Internet giant has at last given the iOS app a thorough overhaul while adding new features such as notifications for stock price changes, so it now feels right at home in iOS 7...

Lost Echo review: a riveting point-and-click adventure game

Point-and-click games are not nearly as popular as they should be in the App Store, especially for the iPad. The touch screen tablet is perfect for exploring a rich environment and finding hidden clues. The best way to find something that is missing is to touch everything.

Lost Echo is a cerebral point-and-click adventure game that puts you a short time into the future and sends you on a mission to find out what happened the day Chloe disappeared…

Luxuria Superbia explores the joy of touch on your iPad

Considering how many endless runner, physics-based, and side-scrolling platformer games there are coming to the App Store every day, it is hard to believe that anything new and original is possible.

Luxuria Superbia is a visual abstract game that mixes music and touch to create a relaxing and zen-like experience. Unlock the colors and grow your garden with controlled strokes that turn a colorless world beautiful…

Google’s Waze app updated with voice search, event reporting and more

After months of speculation, Google bought popular social mapping startup Waze in June of this year. And following the purchase, Google's VP of Geo said the company was looking forward to bringing its search capabilities to the app.

Today, it has made good on that promise. An update just posted for the Waze iPhone and iPad app, which brings it to version to 3.7.6, that includes a handy new voice-based search option for addresses and places in over 40 languages...

Comcast’s new ‘Xfinity TV Go’ app lets you watch live TV on the go

Comcast customers will be happy to hear that the cable provider has launched a new app today, Xfinity TV Go, for iOS devices. It's actually a rebrand of the previous 'TV Play' app, with a number of new features.

The most important, though, is the ability to stream live television from your iPhone or iPad while on the go. That's right, as long as you are on a Wi-Fi network (not just the one in your home), you can watch TV...

Rdio finally brings back Recommendations, revamps Stations player

Rdio, the popular Internet radio service, has just pushed a long-expected update that has finally enabled a music recommendation engine in its iPhone and iPad app. Fans will remember that the inaugural 1.0 build had that useful feature front and center.

Unfortunately, it was inexplicably pulled as the company started experimenting with stuff like Pandora-style personalized Stations and got busy implementing social features and other enhancements.

It was a little over a month ago that Rdio confirmed plans to bring back the popular music-recommendation capability and today they've made good on that promise...

Apple’s Volume Purchase Program expands to Macs with Managed Distribution

Early in the game, Apple took advantage of its Volume Purchase Program (VPP) to allow Business and Education customers to buy iPhone and iPad apps carried on the App Store in bulk and with volume discounts.

Following the free OS X Mavericks update earlier in the month, the company has now updated VPP rules to include Mac App Store apps as well. With this change, Education and Business customers can for the first time buy Mac apps in volume.

In addition, the company has introduced a new Managed Distribution feature for iOS 7 and Mavericks devices which lets businesses and education institutions easily assign and revoke app licenses to individual users. Previously, these high-value customers had to rely on redemption codes to distribute software in bulk...

New ‘Knock’ app allows you to unlock your Mac with your iPhone

With the iPhone 5s, Apple made security more convenient by allowing users to unlock their devices with a quick tap of its Touch ID Home button. It's kind of like having a password, without having to type it in every time.

And that's essentially what Knock, a new iOS app by Knock Software, does for the Mac. It allows you to keep your computer secure, without having to type in a password every time. Simply give your iPhone a knock to unlock...

Spotify iOS refreshed with instant search, artist tour details, new languages and more

Spotify, the popular Swedish streaming music startup, today gave its iPhone and iPad app a little love. In addition to support for new languages like Japanese, the new Spotify 0.9 for iOS now includes artist tour information, including such details as concert dates.

Several search-related improvements and the usual bug fixes are also part of this Spotify release.

The free update is available immediately on the App Store and I've included additional details below the fold...

Google Search app gets ‘OK Google’ handsfree voice control, reminders, alerts, and more

Google has just updated its native Search app for the iPhone and iPad with a slew of new features, starting with a number of new types of Google Now cards and the ability to activate the voice search handsfree, simply by saying “OK Google” like on Android. This feature works on the iPhone 4s or later devices. You can now enjoy one-touch sign-on and elect to receive alerts for delayed flights and upcoming appointments and events, as well as for public transit reminders.

The app now supports new types of reminders for movies, actors, TV shows, musicians and web content updates, including location-based and time-relative entries like “Remind me to buy coffee beans at Starbucks,” or “Remind me to check out the fair this weekend”. Jump past the fold for the full reveal...

MagicalPad 3 HD review: organize your thoughts with ultimate flexibility

When I was in high school, my English teacher taught me that the best way to get starting on developing an essay was to brainstorm ideas and then creating an outline. It is the ultimate way to organize your thoughts into a visual landscape where you can further create.

MagicalPad 3 HD is a productivity app for the iPad that lets you brainstorm, create outlines, mind maps, add flowcharts, make scrapbooks, and share your ideas with others...